


head on the game, mind on you

by koushisan



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, Canon Compliant, Fluff, Hinata Shouyou & Kageyama Tobio Friendship, Hinata Shouyou is Sunshine, Kageyama Tobio is Bad at Feelings, Love at First Sight, M/M, Pre-Canon, Tsundere Kageyama Tobio
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-19
Updated: 2020-09-19
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:00:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,652
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26541820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/koushisan/pseuds/koushisan
Summary: Kageyama was this tall, scary guy that knew nothing but volleyball.But once you get to know him, he's actually this tall, scary guy that knew nothing but volleyball and Hinata.
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio
Comments: 2
Kudos: 113





	head on the game, mind on you

Kageyama is no romantic, and he knows it.

But he didn't need to be one to tell what he was feeling at the moment. It was like some random scene from a fairytale was stolen and shoved straight into his head that gave him some crazy, slo-mo, _'and the world stopped turning'_ delusion.

It was clear as daylight, the first time Kageyama layed eyes on the love of his life.

It was sunny and the boy was average– cute, small, and could never be taken as a threat. Kageyama saw him on the public gym he goes to almost everyday, hitting balls by the wall. He wasn't bad, but then, he wasn't good enough for Kageyama's full attention either.

It was when Kageyama just grabbed a free-for-use volleyball from the ball cart and was ready to walk back to the net, when little, orange head popped up out of nowhere.

"Hey! I've never seen you before. You new?" He was taken aback, the muscles on his face moving involuntarily to form a probably brooding look for shorty to see.

"Yikes. You look scary, mister!" The orange head half laughingly teased. "I don't bite, I was just wondering if you wanted to practice volleyball with me."

The little ginger tilts his head in genuine curiosity. " _That_ " He points at the thing sandwiched between Kageyama's palm and hip. "That _is_ a volleyball, right?"

Kageyama shares a bewildered expression and looks at the guy like saying _'are we even close?_ ', and maybe that really was the intention, because orange seemed to have caught on and immediately starts acting skeptic, waving his hands about. "It's just that I've always asked the new ones to help me out with my spikes."

_Spikes?_

It takes a good 60 seconds before Kageyama could finally give a sincere look. And it wasn't a pretty one, he looked at orange with a knife-sharp stare and an almost crescent scowl.

Orange observes the first time scary looking guy opens his mouth to speak with a low tone, and he almost shivers. Scratch that- he _does_ shiver. (Although he doesn't know if it was fear or warm approval for the guy's voice)

"On the contrary, it is you who I've never seen before. And you're asking for a toss?" Kageyama snickers insultingly, glancing shorty from his orange head to covered toes. "I have better things to do."

Orange shuts up for a while and Kageyama wonders if he's taken it too far, he never means to offend anyone. It's just that socializing and sympathizing are things that don't exist in his mentality, and he found it hard to display emotion.

He was about to compensate for his actions, but orange beat him to it.

"Is it because of my height," He says with a flicker in his eyes, dazing and hazy and enthralling to the tall man in front of him. "That you refuse to play with me?"

It wasn't.

Kageyama wants to say, because it really wasn't. Height was an advantage, but not some log in the road that could stop someone from pouring their passion into the sport. However, Kageyama doesn't express this in half assed words, he was never good at that to begin with. He looks at orange instead.

" _One_ toss." He says. Orange's sulking was replaced with sudden sparks, and all of a sudden Kageyama was receiving enlarged, glowing eyes from a guy he just met.

He only realizes it when orange squeals ' _really?!_ ', but this guy's voice was hella' high and nasal that his eardrums almost threatened to burst. Luckily, the next sound he hears were footsteps towards the court- tranquil and soft.

Followed by a question said in a lively tone.

"Hey mister, do you have a team?"

He looks at orange with one brow rocketed and the other slumped. "A _what_?"

"A team." Orange repeats, acting coy, avoiding gazes. "You know, in volleyball."

Kageyama looks at him for ten (not) straight seconds before stopping in his tracks and averting gaze to the net in front of him "I do." He frowns. "But if I had a choice, I wouldn't have to be with them."

"Damn, I didn't know you were such a grouch." Kageyama flinches hearing that, even more so on how nonchalant it left his companion's lips. "I wouldn't know why you feel that way, but, I think you're lucky enough to have a team. A real one."

Kageyama's face stiffens, he doesn't respond, he doesn't question either. He only looks at the ball he was holding as he brings it up to his chest, gripping on it tightly without a sense of delicacy whatsoever.

What's with this kid? So _poke-y_.

And maybe because it was because of the snarky remark, that he starts to feel the shaking in his fingers.

Unconciously, his arms stretch up and he was already in position to throw the round object he holds. He only realizes that he was going for a toss when he feels the sensation of a ball slowly leave his hands.

He quickly turns his head to look over it.

"Crap. Sorry, I'll try–" However, instead of speaking, he only finds his jaw drop and throat swallow a lump when he sees the short guy who he had no belief in, jump midair.

"...Again."

He misses. Kageyama blinks a couple of times after taking in what happened, orange looked like he was flying, the angles and positions in place, he feels like he saw everything in slow motion. But when it was time for orange to spike, he completely missed the ball.

The guy lands on his feet like a cat, but seeing him jump wrecklessly, Kageyama thinks he was more like a sparrow or a crow.

"Woah! That was so cool!"

Or a puppy at most, seeing how easily impressed he was and how his eyes lit up like a lost, hungry dog.

"Mister, you're really cool!"

Kageyama swallows. He avoids eye contact because he feels vulnerable under the praise.

Orange headed boy who acted like he just witnessed the most miraculous thing in the world walked towards Kageyama with a cheeky grin, saying: "Hey, if it's okay can we–"

**_"HINATA SHOYO."_ **

Orange head reacts to the loud yell with a flinch, Kageyama notices.

And it wasn't rocket science, it didn't even need a lot of useless explanation to figure out why.

Kageyama looks at him with his signature scowl, (he would smile but he doesn't know how) he wants to say something, _anything_. The jump he witnessed a while ago was just amazing. _Clumsy_ , but amazing. And he missed the shot, but it just made Kageyama more curious.

More curious about what would've happened if he gave a decent toss, curious about _him_.

_"Hey–"_

"Hey, I have to go." He was beat to it again. "Seems like I was destined for only one toss today haha. But still, thank you."

"Ah–" _wait._

Kageyama still wants to talk. Needs to. But he watches as bright, orange hair raced out of the gym, some guy patting his head and getting all handsy with him. Kageyama was slightly pressed.

_Hinata Shoyo._

His lips jiggle as it struggles to form a smile. For some reason, Kageyama felt content today, and the most suitable, physical reaction to that was to smile. (Kind of)

When he thinks of the jump, he shivers. And that nasal voice he thought he hated- he found himself wanting to hear more. He mentioned how poke-y the guy was, but he looks down on his feet to think about how cute it actually was.

He was supposed to be practicing right now.

But his body was on contrast with that idea, too busy thinking if he'll ever see Hinata again.

* * *

He's got everything figured out.

The reason why Kageyama and Hinata never 'coincidentally' meet at the gym up until their first meeting was because their schedules don't overlap. At all.

Hinata goes to gym on Sundays, the only exception was last time because he was booked and he had to resort to the other remaining weekend. Kageyama however, went there almost everday _except_ Sundays.

How he got this knowledge? No one knows. (He's a stalker) All Kageyama knows is that he's definitely going to change his schedule.

So that was how he ended up here.

Sunday afternoon, coat of sweat in his body from hitting balls, calloused palms, and worn out legs but still no orange head in site. He was going haywire right now.

He actually considered going back.

Keyword: _considered_.

Kageyama stays for another 30 minutes. And he's glad he did, because all of a sudden, the brilliance of orange invaded the room and he wasn't even feeling tired anymore.

_"Hinata,"_

Oh, shit. Kageyama trembles when he realizes what just left his lips. He tries to pull it back, but he remembers he didn't tie a string to those words, so he starts praying to the gods that no one heard it.

Turns out, the gods hate him.

"Oh, hey! You're the guy with the killer toss." Hinata beams, walking over to Kageyama all giddy. "How'd you know my name?"

Kageyama freezes, like a deer caught in headlights.

How can he say he's been spying on the guy every chance he gets because he was just too cute without sounding like a creep? Oh, that's right, he _can't_. Kageyama produces blurred out noises when fortunately, Hinata spoke up.

"Oh, right!" He cheers, pounding a fist over his open palm. "Izumin was shouting like crazy at me last time. I apologize on his behalf"

Kageyama gulps.

There's been a lot he wanted to say to Hinata ever since their encounter last week, but he feels the words get caught up in his throat and he's afraid if he says it out loud, it wouldn't make sense.

(This is supposed to be a secret but Kageyama has been google'ing up a lot of 'how to socialize', 'how to sound confident', and 'how to be cool' lately. You can only imagine what his youtube history looks like)

"Izumin's our setter, by the way."

Kageyama blinks in genuine amusement and relief that Hinata was good with conversations.

"Is he good?" Kageyama asks but immediately regrets it after processing how egotistical he sounded. He hopes Hinata didn't get that kind of impression.

When he looks him in the eye, however, he could only see an ear-to-ear grin and fading eyes. Hinata was happy, anyone could tell by the tone he used in his voice.

"Defenitely." He nods, Kageyama loves the way his hair bounces up and down along with it. "We're really lucky to have him as our setter."

A crack dents on Kageyama's almost-smile and he really didn't want to act like some immature novice right now, but hearing Hinata praise some other guy, especially in terms of setting, was a real punch in the gut. Naturally, his childishness took over.

"Then you must like him a lot?"

Strike two.

Kageyama just wishes he could slap himself square in the face, because he's asked two impertinent questions in a row but not one of the questions he's genuinely curious about have been asked.

As he expected, Hinata looked at him-perplexed and strained and Kageyama just wants to die there and then. But a few seconds after, sweet laughter tinkles in his ears and he turns to look at Hinata, giggling innocently. It cleansed him.

"Yes, of course I like him. Aside from him being our setter, we've been friends since junior days." He stares dreamingly, nostalgia washing his feet like riptide.

"Oh." Kageyama doesn't know if he should be happy or sad or crying on the spot. He never felt this much emotion before he met little orange head here. And he's never held a proper conversation with anyone before, he starts to think if what they had going on right now could be considered as one.

"Hey, um," Kageyama clears his throat, bracing himself. "I can set for you if you want."

Hinata looks at him, wide-eyed.

"What, _now_?" He starts bouncing eagerly, zooming in his face closer for Kageyama to see, his eyes overflowing with life. "Really? I want to! I want to!"

Kageyama's lips purse and he's pretty sure blood was starting to creep up on his cheeks. _Gwaah!_ (He learned that from the one and only) Why was Hinata so adorable?

"Yeah, but, I have a condition." He says like he was calm. He wasn't.

"What is it?" Hinata tilts his head in curiosity.

Kageyama takes in an invisible breath before slowly opening his mouth. " _Well_ ," He's skeptic about continuing. "I barely know you, a-and you don't know anything about me either."

"And?" Hinata looks at him questioningly, waiting for the condition.

"W-well, I want to... uh," Kageyama clears his throat "Well, I ,uh..."

"Do you want us to get to know each other better?" Hinata clears up for him.

Kageyama blushes, looking down "Yeah."

He's addamant for a while. It was silent, thickly silent, the type that had to be cut down with a knife. He's sure that Hinata was going to reject him, but he sucked it up like a man and looked up at the boy anyway.

He was smiling.

"What's your name?" Hinata asks him with a gentle voice, like pouring honey over tea or layering icing on cake. It was sweet.

"Kageyama."

Hinata shifts from his position to walk towards the court. He looks back at the raven haired boy and shares a look of reassurance.

"Will you toss for me, Kageyama?"

* * *

"You really shocked me back there, Kageyama-kun." Hinata pants, breathless after what seems like an hour of hitting balls.

"Because of my toss?" Kageyama pushes, grabbing his water bottle from the corner of the room, stuffing his throat with a copious amount of fluid.

"Well, _yeah_. But," Hinata clarifies, leaning down a wall. " _Before_ that. I was surprised to hear you wanted to get to know me. I never took you as the sentimental type."

"Oh" Kageyama feels himself flush. He wasn't. He doesn't have a place for sentiments, but if that was what Hinata thought, he was more than ready to ride along with it. "Then... what did you take me as?"

"Scary." Hinata shivers but quickly laughs it off. "You never smiled once."

"But I figured that's how you were, because then, you somehow remembered my name and started asking things about my teammates, I was so shocked. I didn't think you'd be interested at all, but it was so cute, like-"

"Stop!"

Hinata was taken aback at Kageyama's suddenness and looks him in the eye directly. His enthusiasm drops when he sees Kageyaman bloody red.

"Oh my god, are you alright?" Hinata isn't scarce to touching so he starts getting handsy, placing a hand over Kageyama's face. "You're hot."

Damn right he is. _And it's all because of you_. Kageyama wants to say, but stops himself from being any further embarassed than this- because, seriously, anything that comes out of Hinata's lips pierces down on his heart like an arrow. And what was that? _Kageyama? Cute?_ He's afraid that adjective could only apply to a certain orange haired boy.

"I'm fine." _I'm not fine._

"Um," Kageyama carefully removes Hinata's frail, little hands from his face and slips in an awkward cough. "Hinata?"

"Yeah?"

"Have you decided," He pauses for a second to properly structure his sentece. "On a school you want to go to?"

"Oh ho ho~" Hinata teases him with his eyes narrowed and elbow poking his waist. "Is this your way of getting to know me better?" Overall, it was just too much for Kageyama.

"I, I'm applying for Shiratorizawa." Kageyama mumbles, pushing off the teasing he got from the boy beside him.

Hinata swings forward and hums in general amusement, then leans back against the wall. "That's nice. I think you actually have a good chance of getting admitted."

Kageyama looks opposite to Hinata to hide his reddening cheeks. "Thanks. And you?" He deflects, proud of how he hadn't stuttered. "Where do you plan to to go to?"

It was silly really, how Kageyama had expected a direct answer from the guy, who right from the start, was playful and ambiguous. Hinata grins at him widely and speaks with a frisky voice.

"I don't know if I should tell you."

Kageyama pales, in face and voice. "Why not?"

"It'll be unfair to my team." Hinata looks forward and slumps his shoulders. "If I tell you now, you'll be the first ever person to know."

He brightens again. "Oh. I, I understand."

"Hmm, but I might just tell you next time."

Kageyama's eyes snap open like they weren't already wide to begin with, he stares down at the guy with discreet and genuine intention. Did he hear Hinata right?

" _Next time?_ " He repeats.

Hinata offers him a pretty, little smile that was just enough to make his heart pop. A warmth settles in his stomach when the bou shorter than him asks, "Problem?"

Kageyama was reassured, shakes his head.

"Next time."

* * *

It was love. He just knew it.

The unsettling pitter-patter in his chest and the tight clenching of his heart and the way his palms start to sweat anxiously. Everything that happened this week was love.

Kageyama overheard from a bunch of girls in his class that were gathered together at the back to read doujinshi say love was scary. It was. Up until now, Kageyama was never this anxious. It was scary.

" _Kageyama-kun!_ "

But he looks back at the boy behind him, sweaty but still a sweetheart, tired but vibrant. He was beautiful, and Kageyama was led to believe that having these definite feelings for him were beautiful too.

He felt a thousand times better now that Hinata was by his side. (Well, behind him but let a man dream)

"Ahh, you were so cool!" The orange head squeals and squirms all about. "The ball went gah! and you were like gwaah and- and- where'd you learn to serve like that, Kageyama?"

Kageyama wants to scream.

He's blushing. He knows he is, but he was with Hinata fucking Shoyo, the guy who would yap on about how cool he was at volleyball. "P, practice I guess... There's a senpai I know that could deliver killer serves, I guess I learned from him."

Hinata sighs and slumps himself at the nearest bench. "I thought you were only good at setting, but serving too? What's next, spiking? Having you as an opponent must be tough." He laughs, half serious.

Kageyama's surprised, visibly.

"D-dumbass."

Hinata laughs, head almost tossing backwards from too much of it. "You keep calling me that when I compliment you. Are you mad at me or something?"

"No," He mumbles, looking anywhere but Hinata's eyes. "I can't help it."

"But it would be great if we could stand in the same court together, someday." Hinata forces his eyes and a smile on Kageyama and it was just all to dizzying for him. "Don't you think so?"

"I..." In the end, he returns the shorter boy's gaze. "Yeah. I want to be able to stand in the same court as you too."

Hinata unconsciously presses his shoulder to Kageyama's when he was leaning forward the bench, steady smile and crescent eyes still on his face. The next words that came out of his mouth pretty much surprised Kageyama.

"Well you better watch out, because I'm pretty sure Karasuno won't go down without a fight."

Kageyama blinks at him twice, the first because his eyes itched, the second because of genuine curiosity.

"Karasuno high school?" He repeats.

Hinata just gave him a lazy look before facing forward where the court stood. "Yeah, I've decided on it ever since junior high school." He says, looking half minded. "I'm going to Karasuno."

Kageyama stares at him. But seeing how unfazed the boy was was enough confirmation for Kageyama that he was actually sure about this- about Karasuno. The corners of his lips stick at the corner and he looks at where Hinata was looking- _forward._

"I'm counting on it."

* * *

**2 MONTHS AFTER**

_Crap, crap, crap._

Hinata Shoyo was late. What's even worse is that he was late for his _first_ day. It sounded like a cliché, but it actually happened quite often, and he blames that damn alarm clock that only rung ten minutes after the actual time it was programmed to ring for.

His first stop was at the dean's office, then his first class, then to the gym. But it was _Hinata_ , of course he'd go to the gym first. 

He tripped on a step in the stairs that was under the shade that connected the gym door from the side of the school building. He quickly recovers after the thought of how close he actually was from the gates opening to his dream: Karasuno's gym.

So now, he stood in front of the sliding doors. Heart pulsing, hands sweaty.

_Deep breaths._

He reminds himself as his hands settle on the cold, metal handle of the door: to calm down, _breathe._ This won't be the first time he's entering a gym. (Not the last either)

So with one last take of breath, Hinata grips on the handle and slides it open with a _slam_. And if standing outside the gym was suffocating, seeing what was inside cut his airways.

His body stills for a moment, looking at what was inside- _who_ was inside.

He watched as raven hair bounced down slowly after a short-ranged jump, one Hinata has seen whenever someone goes for a toss. The shock was also visible from the other face across the room, but he sees how that shock reverted back into what it was actually supposed to be- a _smile._

And Hinata always knew there would be a day when him and Kageyama would stand at the same court.

That day was today.


End file.
